John Bryant

Practice Areas

John Bryant has extensive experience in municipal and public finance in the State of Arkansas, regularly serving in a variety of roles including bond counsel, lender/lessor’s counsel, underwriter’s counsel, issuer’s counsel, borrower/lessee’s counsel, purchaser’s counsel and special tax counsel. He represents issuers across the State including cities, counties, state agencies, public facilities boards, volunteer fire departments and fire districts, water authorities and districts, improvement districts, public and private universities, public school districts, hospitals and non-profit organizations in capital improvement and related transactions. He has represented clients nationwide in the role of underwriter’s counsel, lender/lessor’s counsel and similar roles. He has experience in taxable, tax-exempt, public and private municipal finance transactions, and also advises clients in general corporate law, business transactions and governmental relations.

Experience

-Broad experience serving as lessor and lessee’s counsel on tax-exempt and taxable capital lease purchase agreement financing transactions across the country including the development of stand-alone and master lease purchase agreement forms and structures, tax analysis related to lease purchase agreement transactions and the development of certificates of participation (COP) structures in connection with lease purchase agreement transactions.

-Served as bond counsel, lender/lessor’s counsel and issuer/borrower/lessee’s counsel in numerous energy efficiency project financing transactions for cities, counties, universities and school districts across the state including the review of energy performance contracts and guarantee agreements and coordination with the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment Arkansas Energy Office.

-Extensive experience in Arkansas public school lease-purchase agreement and installment contract financing transactions for projects ranging from the acquisition of equipment such as computers and school buses to large-scale construction, repair and renovation of school facilities, as well as energy conservation projects and electric generating solar facilities.

-Served as bond counsel and similar roles in debt financings for developer-owned solar array projects.

-Experienced in the development and issuance of secondary-market taxable and tax-exempt asset securitizations private placement structures.

-Experience as lender and borrower’s counsel in commercial bank loan financings as well as experience in various roles in real estate and other transactions for public and private entities and individuals.

-Represents clients in connection with federal and state securities compliance related to matters of public finance.

-Regularly presents programs on public and municipal finance, lease purchase agreement financing, and related matters to organizations and conferences around the state and nationally.

-Previously served as the head of a law firm’s public finance and transaction team, including acting as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, special tax counsel, lessor’s counsel, lender’s counsel, borrower’s counsel and trustee’s counsel on public and municipal finance transactions, private-placement transactions, bank loans, private-party financings, real estate and other transactions for public and private entities and individuals.

Professional Memberships

-Arkansas Bar Association

-National Association of Bond Lawyers

-Association for Governmental Leasing and Finance

-Adjunct Law Professor, University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law (2007-2014)

Education